Here's something I plan to post or e-mail whenever a sincere query is made about the harm of slabbing. Any comment one way or the other or any suggestions will be entertained but be warned, I'm discussin' type of guy! e-mail or post...

These are some of the objective reasons I have for being against the slabbing of casino chips:

1. Grading chips has never been a compelling issue in the hobby and this seems to be the only tangible service offered by slabbing companies. Considerations such as rarity and authenticity which give value to a chip are not addressed by slabbing. Slabbing fees only add to the cost of the hobby without providing any real value.

2. No consensus for the integrity of slabbing companies in other fields that they engage their services. Dissatisfaction of slabbing companies is evident in only a cursory sampling of opinion in coin and sports card collecting.

3. Pervasive slabbing in all price ranges in other collecting hobbies. Grading fees are more expensive for “high-end” chips but inexpensive chips can be slabbed for appropriate fees also. These fees must be recouped in the hobby somewhere in the life of the slabbed chip.

4. Whole issues could be manipulated by deep-pocket profiteers seeking slabbing as a method of enhancing their profit on subsequent sales of cornered issues. Since there is no standard issue policy of casino chips but only differing awareness of the chip collecting hobby by individual casinos, no protection of the independent collector exists.

5. No consumer protection can be expected from slabbing companies. Their certification only covers their opinion of a particular chip on a particular instance of inspection. Ethical guidelines enforced by CCGTCC for its members may be skewed also as condition disputes of slabbed chips would move out of the club’s realm.

6. New chip collectors are emerging due to geographical spread of Indian and riverboat casinos and internet auctions. This is proven on a daily basis with “Las Vegas” chip prices being paid for chips from other areas. Grading companies with their commercial concerns of customer base would mostly attract new collector interest from people who already accept slabbing as convention. This change would surely alter the hobby we now enjoy.

Mark Erickson
R- 4661
Mtanker@ aol.com